Species Details

ABH: 72.001

BF: 2469

Family: Erebidae

Subfamily: Scoliopteryginae

Taxon: Scoliopteryx libatrix

Authority: (Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular: Herald

Account: Common in broad-leaved woodland, fens, heathland, parks and gardens throughout much of the British Isles Unmistakable. Larva feeds on Grey Willow, Creeping Willow, Aspen, White Poplar and Black Poplar; often found on bushes of sallow, willow and poplar in late summer.

Accounts provided by and used with the kind permission of Mike Wall, Hampshire County Moth Recorder. These will in due course be gradually replaced with species accounts with a Surrey context.

Wingspan: 46 — 52 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 8 Jan (1978) — 31 Dec (1999)

The flight period of overwintering adults are not given. See the flight chart below the distribution map.

Foodplant: Populus sp. (a poplar), Salix sp. (a sallow), Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan).

Foodplant accounts are from the HOSTS database — Natural History Museum, London, UK. (CC0).

Status: Least Concern (LC)

UK BAP:

WCA:

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 1 — Relatively easily identified 👌

Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/scoliopteryx-libatrix/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 732

Individuals: 480

Earliest Year: 1904

Latest Year: 2025

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